


Skotádis

by Speechless_since_1998



Series: Bloodline [2]
Category: Robotech/Voltron (Comics), Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Attempted Murder, Case Fic, Drowning, Embarrassment, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Angst, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, M/M, Mystery, Naked Cuddling, Season 7 Fix it, pidge is in danger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:14:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27111766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Speechless_since_1998/pseuds/Speechless_since_1998
Summary: In the aftermath of the discovery of their bond, Lance and Lotor have different ways to deal with it: Lance rejects the truth and wants to go back to how things were before, Lotor waits for Helena's son to at least agree to talk to him. Unfortunately, the discovery of Lance's origins has attracted the wrong attention. And now the paladin is in danger.-----------------Lance looked at himself in the mirror, expression focused. He had managed to get the hair back to its original color. However, he still hadn't managed to get the Altean marks off his face. He pinched his cheeks,“Come on, what does it take? I want to get my face back."[...]Lance wrinkled his nose, “Exactly, in theory. Lotor is not my father. Okay, he gave me some of my genes, but he didn't raise me. Tiò Diego taught me to ride a bicycle, he helped me with my homework, or he was close to me when I had a high fever. The way I see it, all of this makes him my father. Not Lotor. Family doesn't end with blood. "[...]He slid behind her and grabbed her neck. The girl tried to extricate herself, but the shadow was much stronger than the green paladin.Five seconds. It was time enough to kill her.
Relationships: Acxa & Ezor & Lotor & Narti & Zethrid (Voltron), Allura & Lotor (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance & Lotor (Voltron)
Series: Bloodline [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768357
Comments: 72
Kudos: 174
Collections: Klance, Voltron AUs





	1. Prologue

_Power doesn't corrupt people, people corrupt power._

**_William Gaddis_ **

"General, we have identified the paladins." 

"Great. Proceed with the attack. Remember the plan."

"Sure, general."

"Limit the damage and be quick." 

That said, General Oak broke the link. He folded his hands in front of his face. With Zarkon alive and well, the Empire was safe. 

There will be no more power struggles, and the generals will have to cooperate and keep their heads down. 

They weren't stupid, and no one wanted to end up like Sendak. He should have been happy; the power struggles were a danger to the Empire's stability, and whoever emerged victorious could not enjoy the victory as long as someone threatened his power. But General Oak was uneasy. Zarkon was alive, but he had no heir. 

At least, not officially. 

Everyone knew that the emperor's son had a bastard. He was a low blooded bastard Galra, _ human _ , and Voltron's paladin. 

Zarkon had not commented on the matter, but Haggar was pressing for Lotor to return to court, along with the bastard, and welcome them back into the royal family.

And the general had no doubts that Haggar will get what she wanted. The emperor was unable to tell her no.

That boy could not become heir. Oak would have preferred to die.

But it was still time to eliminate this danger.

He had to act cunning and, above all, avail himself of the help of the shadows.


	2. I

Lance looked at himself in the mirror, expression focused.

He had managed to get the hair back to its original color.

However, he still hadn't managed to get the Altean marks off his face. He pinched his cheeks,

“Come on, what does it take? I want to get my face back. I turned into a Galra, for heaven's sake! Why can't I make you disappear? Is it a problem of concentration? I can try to focus more! But please, go away..."

It was pathetic, but he had been trying for hours. Lance did not understand what he was doing wrong, and there was no one he could ask for help: Coran was busy, Allura would not understand, he did not yet know Romelle and Lotor well... well, Lance did not intend to be alone talking to the Galra prince. 

It would have been embarrassing: Lance wasn't ready to face Lotor now. Maybe the paladin never will be. Keith had told him that it would take time: he had had a hard time dealing with Krolia at first, too. 

But in Lance's opinion, the situations were not comparable. Krolia was not a mass murderer. Allura could repeat that Lotor was not like Zarkon, but the prince had made his contribution to the expansion of the Galra Empire.

How many people had he killed? How many planets had he destroyed? And above all, did Lance's mother know who Lotor was? It seemed impossible to Lance that a woman like her mother could fall in love with a murderous imperialist.

Helena McClain refused even to celebrate Columbus Day because she said _Columbus was a great explorer, but he was also a colonial bastard_. 

He rubbed his eyes, "Mom, couldn't you go out with someone normal?" 

Lance stared at the mirror. He had to try again.

The alarm sounded. 

“Paladins! We are under attack! Go to your Lions now! " 

Lance grumbled, “Damn…just a day...I want just a day without someone trying to kill us! Is that too much to ask? "

He was about to leave when he noticed that his hair had turned gray. 

"Oh, come on!"

_*_

It had been an easy fight, and the paladins hadn't even had to come together to form Voltron. 

Acxa had watched them from the bridge. Five minutes. It was the time it had taken to force the Galra to retreat.

And in those five minutes, the Galra had attempted to shot the red paladin three times, and they nearly killed him while he was distracted to protect the Blue Lion.

It had been a remarkable maneuver, but also stupid. The target was not the princess.

It was clear to Acxa that the target of the attack was not Voltron but the red paladin.

The red paladin was a target for Zarkon's generals, all eager to become heirs of the Emperor. The existence of not one but two blood heirs was a danger to their projects.

The generals had to eliminate those threats: what better time than doing it by attacking Voltron and _accidentally_ killing the Emperor's nephew? There could be no evidence that it was deliberate, they were at war after all, and there were casualties in the war.

If the paladin continues to think first about defending others, it will be easier to kill him.

The Altean princess must have known. She was not naive. Why did she keep allowing him certain behaviors?

The general found himself in the common room, looked around, until he saw, towards the kitchen, the yellow paladin busy cooking and the green paladin, sitting nearby, stealing something to eat from time to time.

  
Acxa walked up to them quickly before asking without preamble, "Where's the red paladin?"

  
"Hello to you too - answered the green paladin, raising his eyebrow with a puzzled air - Anyway, I have no idea where Lance is." 

  
"And you know it, yellow paladin?"

  
The paladin nearly dropped the bowl as if not expecting the question.  
He looked nervously between her and his friend, as if he didn't know what to say. 

  
"So, do you know where he is or not?" 

  
"I ... maybe I saw Lance..." 

  
" When?"

  
"He was hungry, and ..." 

  
"And?"

  
"Lance went to train - the green paladin interjected - Now I remember. I passed him on my way here."

  
"Is he alone?"

  
"Why are you interested?" the green paladin asked.

  
"I am concerned for his safety. After what happened today, I find it unwise for the red paladin to be left alone."

  
"Aren't you exaggerating? - the yellow paladin said nervously - It's not the first time that Lance tries to sacrifice himself for someone. He's like that. Once, he shielded Coran to protect him from a bomb and ..."

  
"What did he do?!"

  
"Lance certainly couldn't let Coran die. What else was he to do?" the green paladin retorted critically. 

  
"He didn't have to risk his life." 

  
"He thought Coran was more important."

  
Acxa was amazed. Try as she might, she couldn't figure out where the paladin had inherited this trait. Not from the prince.

  
"It was a stupid action - she just said in a flat voice - Self-sacrifice is useless if you are not sure that you have eliminated the threat first. But on Earth, don't your superiors teach you these things?"

  
“Um… no, they didn't - the yellow paladin replied uneasily - At Garrison, Iverson and the others didn't prepare us for an intergalactic war. Before saving Shiro, we didn't even know about the existence of aliens. "

  
"Haven't you received training?" 

  
"Not to become soldiers."

They were children with no experience or training. How had they lost to them?  
The green paladin scratched her cheeks, looking uncomfortable.

  
“If you want to talk to Lance, I think he is still in the training camp - the girl told her, covering her cheeks with both hands - He has a lot of time left. Even Hunk can say to you that. "

  
"What? Oh, yes, that's right. Lance spends a lot of time there. "

Acxa glared at the yellow paladin, who resumed mixing the greenish concoction he had in the pot.  
He was far too nervous.   
He was far too nervous. It was clear he was lying to Acxa, and the paladin wasn't even that good at it.  
Why was he doing it? Acxa stared at the green paladin, who, unlike her teammate, seemed much calmer.  
But there was something wrong. As much as Acxa watched her, Acxa couldn't help but think that there was something different about the green paladin, something that was out of place, but she couldn't explain what. The green paladin's eyes were a strange mix of blue and brown. Had they always been that color?

  
Maybe she was wrong, that's all. After all, until the moment of their unexpected alliance, it is not that, Acxa had ever really noticed the appearance of the paladins.

  
"Can you tell me where is your training room?"

  
“Get out of here and then go right, then left and go all the way down the hall. "

  
"Thank you, yellow paladin."

  
"Hunk." 

  
"What?"

“You can call me Hunk. We are no longer enemies and ... " 

  
He bit his lip as if to interrupt the flow of words that were coming out of his mouth.

"You are right. Thank you, _Hunk_. "

_*_

"Ok, she's gone."

  
"Finally," Lance said with a sigh, returning to his usual appearance. It tingled his face, but it was a feeling that he was starting to be familiar with. He wasn't brave to change his appearance so as not to have an uncomfortable conversation, but he panicked as soon as he saw the general arrived.

Changing his appearance had been an instinctive reaction.  
Among Lotor's generals, Acxa was the most dangerous. She was kind of a Galra version of Allura, but far more terrifying and deadly. And she was loyal to Lotor in a way that Lance didn't understand.  
Only someone mentally unstable could be loyal to a guy like the prince.

Hunk frowned slightly, "Please don't do this in front of me again. It's creepy." 

  
"You never tell that to Allura." 

  
"It's creepy even when she does it. You seem to melt your face."

  
Lance mumbled, "Really? It doesn't look to me anymore like I have ants on my face or something." 

  
Hunk replied, "You don't help like that."

  
"Come on, dude. We've seen worse. Could this be what impresses you the most?" 

  
"Well, it was worse to see all those clones die ..." 

  
The yellow paladin suddenly fell silent, unable to continue. His lips were trembling, as if he were about to cry.

Lance asked him, confused, "Clones? What are you talking about?"

  
"Well, when we escaped from the cell, we found ourselves in one of Haggar's labs. There were dozens of clones of Shiro and Allura there. They were spare bodies for Zarkon and Haggar!" 

  
Lance felt disgusted. He said, "So, they will never die." 

  
"Mhm ... no, they will die. Pidge killed the clones."

  
"What did she do ?!"

  
“I know! I begged her not to. Maybe we could find a place where the clones could stay. In short, they were still living beings. It wasn't their fault that a psychopathic witch had created them for...oh. Sorry, Lance. "

"Why are you apologizing?"

  
"I remembered that in theory, Haggar is your grandmother."

  
Lance wrinkled his nose, “Exactly, in theory. Lotor is not my father. Okay, he gave me some of my genes, but he didn't raise me. Tiò Diego taught me to ride a bicycle, he helped me with my homework, or he was close to me when I had a high fever. The way I see it, all of this makes him my father. Not Lotor. Family doesn't end with blood. "

“Why don't you tell him? Instead of avoiding him or his generals, you could say to him you don't want him to start treating you like a son or anything like that. "

  
"It's complicated. I had this conversation with Keith, and he told me that when he met his mother, he had trouble relating to her, not knowing what kind of the woman who abandoned him was. But then he realized that they are quite similar, and they learned to get along. He told me to take some time. It was easy for him: he doesn't have a parent who enslaved planets and exterminated God just as many races. "

"But now we are allies. Maybe Lotor regretted what he did in the past."   
  
“Lotor did not regret it - the red paladin corrected his friend - He decided that it would be better for him to ally with us to become the new emperor. He didn't have a sort of redemption arc where he regretted centuries of evil deeds. Lotor continues to be an opportunistic bastard. "  
  
“He could change. I see him very close to Allura. "   
  
"Allura would tell me that Lotor is a credible leader and blah blah blah - Lance cut him off - I'm not interested in that."   
  
"And what are you interested in?"

And here's the million dollar question.

  
Lance admitted, "I don't know."

Hunk patted him lightly on the back, "Hey, it's okay to feel confused, don't get down on it, it's just ... A new situation we don't know how to deal with. Now you even have bodyguards. Acxa looked furious before. "

“Please, don't remind me of that. I don't want a babysitter. I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself. " 

"But it is true that you have a bad self-preservation instinct."

"Hunk!" 

“Sorry… anyway, let me ask you a question: Lotor is not the kind of father you expected. But how did you imagine your biological father could be? "

"Why do you want to know?" 

“It might help you. You know, emotional stuff. I'm good at these things. "

Lance thought about it, "As a child, I was jealous of my friends' dads. Although they had important jobs, they were there for the children. And I wondered why my father couldn't do the same. So I began to imagine that he was some sort of superhero who had to keep his identity a secret to protect the people he loved. Then at the age of six, I started thinking that maybe dad was an astronaut who was working to protect the Earth from aliens. Mom always took me out to look at the stars, and sometimes she just stared at the sky without explaining anything. So I thought he was looking for dad's spaceship. "

A disconsolate smile, “Ironic, I was almost right. Too bad, my father is not a hero but a psychopath. "

“Um… look on the bright side. Perhaps it is thanks to Lotor that the Galra have not attacked Earth in these seventeen years." 

"He probably just forgot about its existence." 

_Just how he forgot my mother_. 

Hunk shook his head, “I'm sure he remembered both Earth and your mother. When he found out she was dead, he was upset. "

"Did you tell him ?!"

"I didn't do it on purpose, I swear! He was the one who asked me why I used the past tense to talk about your mother. What was I supposed to do? Should I lie to him? "

"No, but…"

“Dude, I know you have a problem with this, but I think Lotor cared about your mother. And I'm pretty sure he cares about you. "

Lance snorted, "He doesn't even remember my name."

“It's different now. I'm not saying you have to start buying Lotor the postcard for Father's Day. But you could try to get to know him. " 

"I don't know, Hunk ..." 

“Dude, better than playing Pidge whenever you want to avoid talking about it. How many times can this trick work? "

“Urgh… I hate it when you're right. " 

Hunk chuckled, “ You always tell me this."

  
"Yeah...anyway now I'm going to take a shower. I stink like shit."

  
"I thought you wanted to help me cook, " Hunk said sarcastically." You've already cleaned out a bowl by yourself."

  
" Well, nervous hunger plays tricks on me."

  
"Nervous hunger, sure...don't be late for dinner tonight. This time I'm not saving you anything."

  
" Ah, sure Keith will do that."

  
" Nope. Even at the cost of eating everything myself. You will have dinner with us tonight."

  
Lance finally gave up, "Okay, big boy. You won."

  
Hunk arched an eyebrow, unimpressed.  
" I wasn't kidding. I'll eat it all and Keith can't get you anything. Eat with us and try to be civil with your fath ... I mean, Lotor. You can't avoid him forever."

  
Lance was aware of this. He just liked to pretend he could do it for a while.

*

  
Pidge murmured thoughtfully. Something was wrong. With the new additions to their squad, there must have been about thirteen people in the Castle of Lions. But her Lion had detected the presence of a fourteenth person.

  
The paladin had thought it was a mistake, but checking the computers of the Castle of the Lions, she realized that her Lion was right: there was a stowaway on board. But it was a presence that appeared intermittently. It seemed to be there first, and then poof, it disappeared. It was a mystery Pidge intended to solve.

  
In retrospect, it would have been better to talk about her suspicions, at least with Coran. There was a shadow in the control room, insidious and lethal, which did not appear on the computer. The shadow moved silently, watching as the paladin worked to track him down. 

  
The green paladin was dangerous: she might have found out before he finished his job. He had to kill her.

  
He slid behind her and grabbed her neck. The girl tried to extricate herself, but the shadow was much stronger than the green paladin.  
  
 _Five seconds_. It was time enough to kill her.


	3. II

She was out of the air, and her legs were giving out. Pidge knew she was going to die. Anyone in his place would have been terrified. But Pidge wasn't afraid. 

She thought, "Don't think I'll have me killed meekly."

The green paladin tried to extricate herself, but the grip on her neck was too tight. She also tried to nudge her assailant and force him to let go, but it was like hitting the air.

"What the hell..."

The girl began to squirm, her head jerking in opposite directions to achieve a minimum of freedom. 

"Sshh ... stop girl. It will be more difficult this way."

"Like I want to make it easy for you," she thought. 

Pidge tried to step on his foot, but again she didn't hit something. Now, either she was too weak or her attacker didn't have a tangible body, which was unlikely since _he was suffocating her_.

In a final attempt to free herself, Pidge tried to bite her assailant's arm, but it was like having smoke in her face. 

A laugh, "Haven't you figured it out yet? You can't do something to a _shadow_. Stupid little girl." 

He held her grip tighter, and Pidge felt the urge to scream in pain. But no sound came out of her mouth.

Pidge was at his limit, she knew. It was impossible to understand what was real and what was the result of the lack of oxygen.

"It can't end like this..." she thought in a last flash of rebellion. 

Pidge was about to lose consciousness completely when she distinctly heard the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground with a thud.

"Get away from her, skotádi."

Narti?

Was she desperate enough to imagine one of the most unlikely people coming to save her? But her assailant let go of her neck, and Pidge finally got her breath back.

It was all confused: she could barely see what was happening, as everything was a whirlwind of colors and sounds that seemed a thousand miles away. Pidge raised his head, and, in the half-conscious state she was in, she could see the figure of Narti struggling with what appeared to be a lump of darkness.

She was good, but evidently, she was having difficulties. It was hard to fight someone you couldn't touch even if you were a super experienced general.

"This guy manipulates the darkness ... or maybe he's made of darkness himself, but I don't mind thinking about the technicalities ... how do you defeat someone like that?"

She fleetingly remembered a comic he had made her read about her brother before he left to go to the Garrison. What was his name? Night. No. Noctis, no. Darkness!

A guy who manipulated darkness and brought chaos wherever he went. Its weak point was the light.

That's what he needed! Light!

Finally, she realized the almost total absence of light in the room. Of course it wasn't there, she never turned it on, the light from the screens was enough. Pidge certainly didn't think it would make the job of a shadow assassin easier.

It was not the time to think about it. Pidge had to find the switches. She took advantage of the ongoing fight to look for them, her legs shaky, and her vision still clouded.

She finally found them, but she didn't know which one to press.

"Oh, what the hell."

With a groan of anger, he put her hand on the panel, flipping all the switches.

It was a real explosion of light.

The skotádi stopped, perhaps surprised by the sudden light, finally tangible. That moment of distraction was enough for the general to slip behind him and break his neck.

The body fell at her feet with a thud, and she regarded him with contempt.

"What the hell did you do?" Pidge got mad at Narti.

She shrugged, "I saved your life. You're welcome, by the way." 

"You could have at least waited before killing him! We had to question him! And then where did you come from?"

"I like to explore new places. But you should clean your ventilation system." 

"Huh?" 

Narti continued, ignoring the green paladin's confusion, "To answer your other question: it would have been pointless to interrogate him. He was a skotádi, a shadow hitman from the Empire. He wouldn't have told us anything."

"A shadow hitman?"

"Skotádis are artificial creatures created by druids and used for very complicated missions."

"It's usually killings, I guess."

" It's correct."

Pidge was about to say something else, probably a lashing comment, but his words were interrupted by a new fit of cough. Now that the shadow monster was dead, the adrenaline was starting to subside, and her body was reminding her that she had just escaped death by suffocation. Exhausted, she sat up, closed her eyes, and allowed herself a few seconds to catch her breath. 

"How did he get here?" she managed to ask. 

Narti replied, "It is likely that they were able to penetrate during the last mission of the paladins. Somehow the Galra managed to hook them to the Lions, and thereby have them penetrate inside the castle." 

Pidge opened her eyes and frowned as a cold shiver ran down her spine. There was something wrong with that sentence. 

"Why are you speaking in the plural?"

"The skotádis always act in groups of three. If one fails, one of the others can complete the mission."

"We have to warn the others right away."

"No." 

"Are you crazy? We have killers on board, and you don't want to warn them?"

Assassins who somehow managed to keep electronic devices from detecting their presence and who could be anywhere there was no light.

"We would waste time. We have to go to Lotor and his son."

"Why?" 

"They are the target of the skotádis. The shadow hitman probably tried to kill you because you noticed he was there - Nart explained - The instigator must be one of Zarkon's generals. With Lotor and his son alive, the chance of Zarkon choosing one of them as heir is slim. "

"Lance didn't even know who his biological father was until last week!"

“The generals don't care: the red paladin has the blood of Zarkon in his veins and a claim to the throne." 

Pidge didn't have time to think about politics. There were more pressing issues to address, "If so, we have to separate. You go to Lotor. I go to Lance. Maybe we still have time. "

"Good idea. By the way, the red paladin is in his room. "

"How do you know?"

“I spied on him and the yellow paladin as they talked. The boy is a good liar. "

Pidge didn't know what he was talking about, and she honestly didn't have the energy to ask.

_*_

Closing the door behind him, Lance thought about Hunk's words. 

_I'm not saying you have to start buying Lotor the postcard for Father's Day. But you could try to get to know him_.

He could already imagine how the scene would go, _oh, I've always loved being a pilot. Kill? Not exactly my favorite hobby. No, I don't have a favorite torture method. And I'm not interested in fighting anything that breathes._ It was an ideal topic for an idyllic family dinner.

He ran a hand across his face. He wished he could trade with Keith and have him the mother secret agent/spy ninja. Krolia was preferable to Lotor.

"I should have put in my pocket some of the food that Hunk was preparing - he reflected aloud - I don't even have an excuse not to come. Damn. I should be optimistic, though. The Galra could attack us while we eat. "

It was not a good thing when he preferred to fight the Galra rather than have a conversation with his biological father. 

As Lance thought about how depressing this was, the paladin undressed and went to the bathroom. A shower would help him to think. 

As soon as he stepped into the shower, a jet of cold water hit him in the face.

"Quiznack! I didn't remember it had the automatic option."

He heard a noise behind him and noticed that the shower door was closed. He tried to open it, but it was as if someone had blocked it. He then tried to shut off the water, but even that attempt was useless.

" _Mierda_..."

The water was starting to fill the shower cabin. Judging by the amount of water flow, it will take a short time to fill the entire shower enclosure.

“Ok, I have to stay calm and get out of here. " 

Lance shoved the door, but it didn't open. He tried another ten times, but the only result he got was a dislocated shoulder.

The water had already reached his knees, and he had no idea what to do.

"Quiznack. The Galra must have managed to hack the castle systems again. " 

_Pidge would be able to solve the problem._

But as far as he knew, Pidge might have had other problems that were keeping her busy and unable to intervene. She could even be hurt.

If Lance wanted to save himself, he had to think for himself. But it was impossible to do something while he was shivering from the cold and almost had water around his neck. Lance tried to turn off the taps, but they seemed broken. He slammed his fists against the door, trying to break it, but it was too strong. The water had almost filled the shower cabin.

The paladin gasped and tried to stay afloat.

"I have to do something. I can't die like this. Veronica would never forgive me."

He went underwater and tried again to force the door, but it was useless.

He tried to re-emerge, but by now, the shower cabin was full of water, and he didn't know how long he would be able to hold his breath.

It was at that moment that Keith walked into the bathroom, "Lance!"

_*_

The ball of light in Allura's hand was warm. It was small but bright as a star. Allura held it carefully in her hands and then threw it towards the other, were six other small spheres were decorating the ceiling of the training room. 

It was beautiful.

There was still a lot that Allura needed to learn about quintessence manipulation, but she was determined to be taught everything. Haggar was a powerful witch, and the druids were dangerous enemies. She had a gift, and she had to learn how to use it for the good of the team, to protect her friends all from magical attacks.

Lotor was proving to be a good teacher, thanks to centuries of experience in the use of Altean alchemy.

Thanks to him, she had improved in a short time. But that wasn't enough. Allura needed to get stronger.

"Red Paladin, we must speak ..."

Acxa stopped in the doorway, looking embarrassed. It was the first time that Allura had seen that expression on the general's face.

Immediately Acxa made a slight bow, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, prince. I was looking for the red paladin."

"Why?" 

_What did Lance do this time?_ Allura thought.

It was unfair to jump to conclusions, but the paladin made unwelcome jokes or filtered with any girl he met.

Narti was not his type, Ezor and Zerthid were a couple, Acxa remained. And Acxa was Lance's type.

"If he said something inappropriate ..."

The general snorted, "At least he'd talk to me. But we've been here for a week, and the paladin has avoided me, the prince, and the other generals. And I'm sure that's not what happened in the past."

Allura thought that was an understatement to say _I'm sure he's not avoiding me because we tried to kill you all when we were enemies._

It seemed that the general was also as good as with diplomacy.

Allura cleared her throat, "You have to understand that the situation that the red paladin is experiencing at the moment is complicated. He feels confused: the news of his origins has changed his perspective on the world. He needs time to deal with the situation. " 

Acxa replied, "Princess, time is a luxury we don't have at the moment. If you think you can keep the generals of Zarkon at bay now that they know there is an heir to Prince Lotor, then you are nothing more than a foolish idealist. "

"Acxa!" Lotor scolded her.

“I'm sorry, Prince Lotor, but it's true. How many assassination attempts have you survived? How many times have generals tried to take your place as the rightful heir to the throne? Do you think they will not do the same for your child? Today’s attack was an attempt to kill the red paladin! This time they failed. But they will try again. You know they will. The boy must understand how precious he is and that he cannot risk his life so lightly. "

 _Ironic how you care since you tried to kill him._

"Lance tries to do what's right."

“He can do it without risking his life. "

Allura replied, "Paladins always risk their lives for the sake of others, and that's what makes them heroes." 

Acxa thinned her lips, "There is a difference between a spirit of sacrifice and carelessness for one's life."

"What do you mean?"

"From what little I have seen today, the red paladin is the one who lacks self-esteem and self-confidence the most. There is no other explanation as to why he so frequently risks his life to protect others. The paladin has self-destructive tendencies. Only one person who values himself poorly compared to others is so ready to risk his life without hesitation with such alarming frequency. I heard about when he shielded your advisor with his body, and I suspect it was not an isolated incident. I'm right?"

"He did it often," Allura admitted.

"Sometimes, it seems like it's his first instinct. But Lance has no trust issues. Not that bad, at least."

Acxa was about to reply. But whatever she was about to say died in her throat when she saw Lotor casting two shadows.

"Prince, your shadow..."

Allura gestured for her to be quiet with one hand. She had seen it too.

"Lotor, try to move," the princess asked him.

Lotor tried to do it, but his body felt heavy and slow, as if the gravity inside the castle had increased.

Allura bit her lip, "We have a problem. The skotádi has taken his shadow."


	4. III

Krolia looked around with interest, "I grew up hearing stories about the Castle of the Lions. But I didn't think I would ever enter." 

Keith asked her, "What do you think?" 

"It lives up to the legends."

Coming from his mother, it was a compliment. The woman continued, "It was an interesting visit. But even though I enjoyed our time together, I think you should encourage your bond with the Black Lion."

"My bond with Black is strong," Keith said defensively. 

He knew they would talk about it sooner or later. His mother was a damn good observer. Keith assumed that to be a spy, that was a prerequisite.

Krolia raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? Are you talking to your Lion?"

"It isn't necessary."

"The other paladins spend a lot of time with their Lions. Even _Lance_ \- she said, treading on Lance's name in a tone he didn't like - It's necessary for the paladin-lion bond. But you're ignoring Black. Why?"

"I'm not ignoring Black. But..." 

"But?" 

Keith bit his lip. It was too personal, and he didn't want to talk about it. Not even with his mother. 

The truth was that Black didn't want to talk to him. The Lion was colder now.

As if the experience of having Zarkon as a paladin again was too much to bear. 

And he could understand: the clone's deception had been worse for Black.

Black had a lot of trust issues now, and it affected their relationship. Keith didn't know how to regain Black's trust, and it was getting unnerving. At least Black obeyed him. A small consolation, but Keith had learned to take small steps. He couldn't rush things, but damn it, with a war going on it, was hard. Part of him believed that Shiro in his place would already regain Black's trust. Shiro was a natural leader. While Keith was more comfortable with the role of leader than Voltron, but he did not delude himself that he had that ability.

"I want to bond with Black, just..." 

"Keith!" 

Pidge came towards them, a noticeable bruise around her neck. She looked like he had just come from a hard physical fight. The green paladin didn't even stop but took him by the arm and dragged him with her. "Pidge, what the hell are you doing?"

"Lance is in danger!"

"What?" 

"I don't have time to explain everything. Follow me!"

Keith didn't need her to tell him.

Krolia came with them, and observing the bruises on the paladin's neck, asked her, "What happened to you?" 

"Well, a dude tried to strangle me."

"What? Who?" 

"Narti said he was a skotádi." 

Krolia made a sorry sound, "A shadow killer. Not good."

"What is a skotádi?" 

Keith was tired of repeating it over and over. 

But what else could he do when no one was telling him what was going on? 

Krolia's response was cryptic, "Nothing good, Keith."

Narti had tried to be quick. She had to get there before the assassin hit. She came into the training room and yelled, "Prince, there are skotádis aboard the Castle of the Lions."

Narti thought she was on time. She had hoped for it. Unfortunately, it was not luck: the prince was at that moment engaged in a confrontation with Acxa and Princess Allura.

Lotor was skilfully swinging his sword to the point that the two could barely dodge attacks, let alone respond and attack. Although they were in numerical advantage, the prince still managed to keep both at bay almost without problems, as expected of the future Emperor of the Galra.

Narti noticed that there were two shadows at the prince's feet and exhaled, "Quiznack."

When you thought that things couldn't get worse, the Universe immediately proved you wrong. At one point, Acxa tried a lunge, but the prince dodged her by then levering on the outstretched arm and sending her back to the floor. 

Lotor was about to strike her, his face wrinkled. Narti intervened and hit the prince in the side, pulling him away from Acxa. 

The general breathed, "Thank you." 

"The skotádi has taken its shadow, hasn't he?"

"Yeah, - the princess said - We realized it late." 

Narti groaned. Damn. 

  
"We have to get rid of it." 

  
Acxa stared at her, "The only way to free the prince is to kill Lotor. You know that."

  
"But we can't ..." 

  
"You know how it works. - the general interrupted abruptly - We cannot separate them unless the physical host of the skotádi dies. It means that the only way is to kill Prince Lotor."

  
There were no acceptable alternatives: either they let themselves massacred, or they killed the guest. It was something of pure sadism. The skotádis didn't care about dying: the only thing that mattered to them was completing the assignment. For this, they were considered the perfect hitmen of the Empire.

Princess Allura murmured, "Maybe I have a solution."

  
"I don't think so, Princess," Acxa told her, eyes narrowed.

  
“No, listen to me: if we stopped his heart for a few seconds, the skotádi would think that Lotor is dead and would abandon him. "

  
"It makes sense," Narti agreed.

  
Acxa gave her a dirty look, "We don't have the means to do that." 

  
"I am skilled in the healing arts - the princess said - I can try to stop her heart." 

  
" Do you know what risks you run? Have you ever done this before? " 

  
"No, I've never done that."

  
"You could kill him," Acxa continued. 

  
"That is the intention. But only for a few seconds. "

  
Acxa was livid, and Narti was pretty sure she could point the sword at the princess if she could. 

  
Indeed, she marveled at the self-control the other was demonstrating.

"I refuse even to harm the prince. If you..." she was blocked by another thrust of the prince. 

  
The three dispersed and took an offensive stance, arms raised.

  
"Do what is necessary!" Lotor commanded, before hitting Acxa again, sword held aloft.

  
"It's the only chance we have," Narti exclaimed at a distance.

  
"It isn't acceptable!" Acxa growled, struggling to push Lotor away.

  
Acxa couldn't do it: she wasn't strong enough. The prince tried to restrain himself, but he was only a puppet of the skotádi.

  
"What are you waiting for ?!" he gasped, now bent over the general.

  
Lotor really had to trust the princess to accept such a plan. Narti had to do the same.

  
Narti looked at Allura, "Let's do it."

  
The princess nodded, “You hold it back. I'll take care of the rest. "

  
Narti moved with speed and determination. In a few seconds, she was behind the prince, put her arms under his armpits and over his shoulders, then yanked him back. In surprise, the man reflexively opened his hand, letting go of the sword, which fell to the ground with a thud. The general barely had time to shout "Now!" before Lotor's body began to struggle to shake it off, like an animal that didn't want to be mounted.

  
Allura was just as quick. The hands began to shine with a blue light gradually more and more luminous, and then brought them over the prince's chest, at heart level. The two looked into each other's eyes, and Lotor waved at her, "Do it." 

  
So, the princess placed her hands on his chest and caused Lotor to go into cardiac arrest.

  
The scream that the prince uttered was almost inhumane. The torture hardly lasted: Lotor stopped breathing, and she let go of her. 

  
The prince fell into her examining arms. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow detach from the body.

  
The skotádi was running away. 

  
“Follow him - Acxa ordered her. She limped over - Don't let him escape. "

  
"Don't worry. I got it."

Pidge dragged Keith across to Lance's room. The door didn't open, and Pidge slammed his hands on it violently, “Lance! Open now! Damn!"

“Wait - Keith ordered her. He put his ear to the door - I seem to hear the sound of flowing water. "

The green paladin's expression darkened, "Damn! LANCE! OPEN NOW! "

“It is useless to scream - Krolia told her - He cannot hear you. Try hacking the server. "

"It takes too much time! - the girl protested - And maybe there is already a hitman in his room waiting to take him out! "

“You can't know,” Keith retorted.

His mother said, “The green paladin is right to worry. The skotádis are ruthless, the best hitmen in the Empire. " 

"Why would anyone send a hitman to kill Lance?" 

Lance was a paladin of Voltron, his right-hand man, but wouldn't it have been more logical to try to kill Keith? He was the leader of Voltron. Or Allura. Heck, it would have made more sense to try to kill Coran too. But not Lance! 

Pidge looked at him as if he were stupid, “Isn't that logical? He is a prince." 

"No, he isn't." 

“He is the son of Lotor,” Krolia reminded him. 

"So?"

"Keith, Lance is third in the line of succession to become Emperor - Pidge explained to him - Do you know how many generals of Zarkon want him dead?" 

Keith froze. How stupid had he been for not thinking about it before? Did he believes that the Galra, discovering the existence of a son of Lotor, would not have done something? _Come on! It's about Lance. How dangerous can he be?_

But Lance could be dangerous. Keith had seen him learn to drive not one but two Lions, being rational when Keith's first instinct was to attack. Lance wasn't a fighter, but he was a surprisingly effective strategist. He didn't want to have Lance as an enemy.

Had Keith underestimated his teammate so much that Lance was a target? No, of course not. But he had underestimated Lance. And Keith suspected he was not the only one.

In frustration, he punched the door. Nothing happened besides the pain in his hand, but at least he had something else to think about.

"Keith, stop - Krolia put a hand on his shoulder - You won't help him that way."

"It's my fault. - the paladin growled - I should have thought about it before. What kind of leader am I? I underestimated the problem. "

 _No, you underestimated Lance_ , an insidious little voice told Keith, but he silenced it. 

"None of us thought that someone would send damn hitmen - Pidge blurted out discontentedly - Where are we, in Westeros?"

Krolia's eyes lit up, “Oh, I get the reference. Keith's father liked that show a lot. " 

“Do you think it's time to think about it?! Lance could already ... "

His wolf appeared beside Keith, scaring Pidge.

Oh yeah, the others hadn't seen the animal yet. The wolf liked to be on his own.

Keith had an idea, "Hey, can you let me into this room?"

"Keith, what the hell are you doing ?!"

“Pidge, calm down. The wolf is mine. "

"Since when do you have a wolf?"

"I've had it for a while, but it's not the point here. The wolf can let me into Lance's room. " 

"Can it teleport us, too?" Pidge asked.   
  
"I don't know, and I don't want to try." 

“So what should he do? - the green paladin asked irritably - Shall we wait out here like idiots? " 

"Obviously not! You look around the castle for the other assassin, hoping that he has not already reached Lotor. "

"You're asking us to look for someone who can hide in the shadows! It's easier to look for a needle in a haystack! " 

"I know! But there isn't much choice! If you can't find it ... " 

By then, the wolf was tired of waiting and unceremoniously teleported Keith into the room. Pidge cursed in rather colorful ways that would have made any Blade of Marmora veteran blush with shame.

Despite the slight nausea he felt from the teleportation, Keith looked around frantically for his friend.

He did not see Lance, but he noticed that there was water on the ground.

"What the..."

He went to the bathroom and saw Lance prisoner in the shower cabin, with the water that had almost filled it.

"Shit."

Keith tried to force the opening, but his efforts proved futile. Then he turned to violence, and slammed his shoulder against the glass, once, twice, three times. 

The paladin was about to try again a fourth time when the wolf reappeared beside him, taking Lance's bayard with him.

Keith took it, looking at the animal in amazement, "Sometimes you scare me." 

The wolf was undoubtedly an intelligent animal, but how did the wolf know what he needed? He'll think about it later: first, he had to free Lance. He aimed the weapon at the glass and fired. It was a mess, water and glass hit him, and he was scratched in the cheek by a shard of glass. Keith didn't care: he dropped the bayard to the ground and took Lance in his arms before the Cuban fell to the ground.

Lance coughed, the water coming out of his mouth and nose.

God, Keith had arrived just in time.

Instinctively, Keith hugged him, “Breath. Everything is alright. You are safe now. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Keith's wolf is smart, but even he can't take that initiative. Well, White Lion is still helping out the paladins. And it is fortunate that with them there is such an intelligent animal that is listening to her.


	5. IV

"You know, you're not discreet _at all_."

It had been a hooded man who had spoken, his features impossible to make out. He was floating beside her in the air, arms folded and an air of disappointment. She snorted internally.

White Lion knew that sooner or later someone would come. The Elders were a pain in the ass, but not stupid. And there in the astral plane, everything was always known. Not that it was possible to hide what she was doing, they observed, always. It was very disturbing now that he thought about it.

White Lion shrugged, "It wasn't my intention to be."

"The Elders don't like it."

"You can't stop me. Besides, I'm not intervening directly. I'm letting others do the work."

She could not risk intervening directly, the time was not yet ripe. She was keen to meet her son again, but she had to be patient. As one character from an old video game put it, "There is a time and place for everything, but not now." 

"A very clever move. - the druid admitted - But you have to stop. We have to observe the young prince."

She twisted her mouth, "His father is a prince. He isn't."

"He didn't grow up as such, but he has royal blood in his veins."

"His blood is as red as anyone else's. Well, some alien species have blood that is black or yellow or whatever color. The point is that blood doesn't matter. To say he has noble blood in his veins doesn't mean anything to me. sense."

The druid disagreed, "It's different with him. He is born from the union of two very powerful bloodlines."

"Don't repeat this story to me. I've been hearing it for years - White Lion said with a touch of irritation - Despite the circumstances of his birth, he is not your weapon."

The druid turned his face towards her, and White Lion noticed a pair of yellow eyes staring at her, "White Lion, the only purpose of his existence is to be a weapon for the salvation of the Universe. That's the reason why he was born. It is his destiny. "

 _Bullshit,_ she thought. The future wasn't written. The only destiny was what we created with our hands.

"He is more than that."

"Do you speak like White Lion or like his mother?" 

"Who cares?"

"It matters because your emotions cloud your judgment."

"I'm lucid."

"But you're getting in the way. We have to judge his abilities. He hasn't awakened his powers yet."

Better this way, until he uses his powers you won't be trying to intrude on either life.

Instead, she said, “Why are you in a hurry? Haggar cannot use his powers and Zarkon is reorganizing his army. There is time. "

"The enemy must not be given time to organize."

"They don't have the resources to do anything too threatening. They aren't even going to Earth."

"For now. He has to face Zarkon as soon as possible, and make up for what Haggar did."

"I gave Shiro the task of closing the dimensional rifts."

"For each rift closed by him, another will open. It takes your son's power to restore balance. And that means his powers must awaken."

That way you are going to send him to die like a beast for slaughter, aren't you? 

No, White Lion will not allow it. She will have to change his plans, but Lance will not become the martyr of the Elders.  
Never.

"Lance, breathe. It's all over." Lance coughed and almost threw up all the water he drank. His lungs burned and he couldn't keep his eyes open.

Keith put his hands on his shoulders, “Hey, focus on me. Breath deeply. "

"Easy ... for you ..."

"Lance, make an effort." 

In response, the paladin coughed more water and shivered. At that moment Keith realized that the other was very naked and blushed. Lance must have known that too, if his blush was any indication. Keith looked frantically around for the bathrobe and when he found it he put it on his friend's shoulders.

"Goes better?"

"Y ... yeah ..."

"Do you want me to take you in a cryopod?"

"I'm ... not ... hurt."

"But you could have internal damage or ..."

"Keith, no - the red paladin interrupted him - The last thing I want ... is to stay ... locked up ... in another space ... closed ... I've already ... had enough ... trauma for today. "

“Coran should at least check you out. Or Allura. "

"No."

"Lance why do you always have to be like this ..."

He broke off when his wolf reappeared and crouched beside Lance, like an ordinary pet. Lance was as confused as he was, "Where did ... this ... wolf come from?"

“ It's mine.”

Lance frowned, "Since when?"

“Well, it's a long story. I'll tell you as soon as you recover. Can I at least take you to bed? "

"Here ... it's a ... disaster."

The shower water had filled the room and it was all wet on the ground. He couldn't keep Lance there, nor did he want to lose sight of him.

So he had an idea, "You'll stay in my room."

“What?”

"Only until the whole situation with the hitmen is resolved and ..."

"Hitmen?"

Keith was an idiot. This was to keep the friend from agitating more.

Now how did he explain it to him? Hey, I know that knowing who your father is is difficult but some people believe that you are a possible heir to the throne of the Galra Empire and they want to eliminate you along with Lotor. Oh and probably there are still some hitmen on board.

Yeah, Lance really wouldn't go crazy to hear something like this.  
Keith rubbed his forehead. Hell, what was she supposed to tell him?

"You won't like this at all."

  
Pursuing a shadow was nearly impossible. The hitman was quick and even Narti was struggling to keep up with him. The Castle of Liokns had so many dark corners to hide in and the chase was wearing her down.

As far as she knew, he could very well have been hiding in a corner letting himself be overtaken and now she was running around in circles, wasting time and energy.

Arriving at a crossroads she stopped and looked around, desperate for the slightest flicker that would reveal the presence of the killer. But she saw nothing.

Panic began to take hold of her.

“Quiznack! Damn! How did I lose it? I..." 

A hand landed on her shoulder and someone cleared their throat behind her. Narti, with her nerves already tense to the maximum, acted distinct, taking the stranger by the throat and slamming him against the wall, while her hand went to the knife she had on her belt. Fortunately, she froze as soon as she recognized her assailant: the princess's advisor, Coran. She let him go as she muttered an apology. 

Coran tidied up his dress, a slightly annoyed expression on the volt, "Never mind, I guess, after all, I was a fool to come up behind you when it was clear you were upset. I beg your forgiveness about that. Anyway, what's up? Is there any problem?"

Narti snorted, “There are many problems. We have two hitmen aboard the ship. "

The Altean councilor widened his eyes, “What? General Narti, how is it possible that there are hitmen? I'm sure the alarms would have warned us if any intruders had entered the castle. "

“The problem is these are Skotadis. No alarm system can detect them. Zarkon's generals are not fools. Eliminating the emperor's alleged heirs has become one of their priorities. "

Understanding made its way to the counselor's face, “Oh… oh no! Lance ... "

"The green paladin went to him - the general hastened to tell him - Maybe she managed to save him."

"And what are you doing here?"

“I was chasing the hitman who attacked Prince Lotor. But I lost it!"

"Mhm ..."

"You don't need to lecture me. Acxa and I should have known that chasing a shadow hitman is impossible. But we weren't exactly in a position to reflect on it, not with the half-dead prince."

"Did the killer hurt Prince Lotor?"

“No, Princess Allura caused him to go into cardiac arrest. It's a long story. The problem is that if we don't find these hitmen, they will try again to eliminate the prince and his son. I'm here for this."

"General, breathe and calm down. If there is one thing that experience has taught me it is that worrying is useless, you have to calm down and then think with a clear mind. There is always a solution, and I'm sure that ... "

"I can't stay calm - the woman burst out interrupting him and making him look slightly annoyed, more for the rude gesture than for the tone used - You can't understand the problem. Shadow hitmen are worse enemies than you can imagine. the only way we can get rid of it is if there isn't even a shadow in the castle, which is impossible. " 

Coran stared at her in surprise, then assumed a brooding air and finally snapped his fingers with a pleased smile, "If this is the problem then there is a solution: remove any shadow from the castle of lions." 

  
She looked at him as if a second head had grown, "That's impossible."

“ I know everything about this castle! Of course, we risk consuming a good part of the energy we need to travel, and we could end up in failure, but we should do it. “

"What are you talking about?" 

“Isn't it obvious? We will turn on all the lights in the castle! Come with me."

The man led her through doors and corridors that all looked the same to her with dexterity and agility. After the fourth turn in a room identical to the previous Nartis decided that trying to memorize the route was now useless.

Eventually, the two found themselves in a giant room with a wall dominated by a control panel and several turbines spinning lazily.

"Welcome to the main generator of the castle - Coran said as he approached the screen and started fiddling with the controls - From here we should be able to control all the lights in the castle and turn them to maximum and thereby destroy those annoying hit men."

"What if they take refuge in the ventilation system?" Narti objected.

"Oh, it won't be a problem," the councilor dismissed with a careless wave of his hand. The councilor was insane - a mad old man without a shred of common sense. 

Narti tried to stop him, "You know that there is a good chance of failure?" 

“But there is also a good chance of success. " 

"How long can you keep all the lights on?"

"Maybe for an hour. Not more. There is a risk of ending up in failure. "

"Have you considered the unexpected?" 

"Sure!" 

"And you still want to do it?"

Coran nodded, "In the worst case, there will be one less Skotadis." 

"This seems to be the best-case scenario."

"No, the best scenario is if both hitmen died."

“You should think about it before doing this. It's a risky move. "

Coran turned, and Narti couldn't hold back a surprised expression. The councilor's eyes shone with the fire of someone who had witnessed a thousand battles and had won them all. A determination such as she had seen few.

"Tell me, general - he murmured staring into her eyes - do you have any idea that we can work quickly and that it gives us a minimal chance of success?"

Narti was speechless.

Then an idea came to her. Maybe the plan wasn't crazy, “With the light the hitmen will become tangible. And they will be heavier. We will find and eliminate them more easily. "

"Mhm ... I thought about it too."

Liar, Narti thought.

You probably wanted the light to do all the work, but that doesn't work. We will have to get our hands dirty.

“The castle is big, it will take everyone's collaboration. Also to go into the ventilation system. "

"You're probably the only one agile enough to do it."

"Maybe. Well, what are you waiting for? We have two hitmen to track down and little time to do it. "

Coran did not have it repeated, he turned and pressed the ignition switch.

"As they say on Earth, make it or break it!”


	6. Epilogue

For a series of fortunate circumstances, Coran's plan was successful: during the castle's reconnaissance, Krolia and Pidge, aided by illumination, found one of the skotádi in the hangar trying to get into a lifeboat and leave, the other was found and killed by Narti.

It would have been a perfect ending.

Too bad that, as Coran predicted, the castle lost energy, and he had to make an emergency landing on an unknown planet.

Hoping not to have any other problems. Exactly, hoping. The planet they had landed on was not uninhabited, and they were not welcome.

It had been hell to get everyone into the control room, but at least they were mostly fine. 

Only Lotor was missing from the roll, and Lance didn't know if feel relieved by his absence. It did not matter. 

The prince's generals were already there to make him uncomfortable. Now he couldn't escape. Quiznak, his usual luck. On the screens, he saw that a dozen gunmen had surrounded the Castle of Lions.

The soldier had not attacked or done anything else. It was as if they were waiting for something. 

Hunk groaned, “Perfect! We are surrounded! "

“They are not Galra soldiers, - Acxa said, noticing the uniforms of the soldiers. - They are probably natives."

"And how could this help us?" the yellow paladin asked.

"They might not kill us as soon as they see us."

"You don't look convinced," Pidge interjected.

Acxa replied, “I don't even know what planet we ended upon. We might as well have ended up in a colony. "

“Oh, lucky - Lance groaned - So what do we do? Shall we use the Lions? "

“No! - Allura said - We'll do it the old way. We will use diplomacy. "

"Of course, diplomacy has helped us many times."

"Lance, no sarcasm."

"You have to admit that if we ended up on an enemy planet, diplomacy wouldn't help us at all."

"But if we're on a planet that is enemy of the Galra, attacking them would make us lose potential allies," Allura pointed out. 

Crap. Lance hated when she was right.

It was Keith who intervened, “As much as I'd like to attack and then ask questions later, I think we don't have to risk it. We'll leave the ship armed and ready for anything in case Allura's solution doesn't work. Coran, take care of the generator and see if you can fix the problem as soon as possible. Acxa, you and the other generals stay with Lotor. All the others follow me. "

"Hoping they don't shoot us on sight." 

“Thanks for pointing this out, Hunk - Keith retorted - Ah, Lance. Maybe, it's better if you stay here too. "

"Why?" 

"I think it's safer."

"Just because I almost drowned ..." 

"What did you do?!" Acxa blurted out, and Lance bit his lip, mentally calling himself an idiot. Here, he had talked too much again. And he couldn't blame Keith: he'd tried to be subtle.

“Look. I'm fine. I can go with the other paladins. " 

"Are you okay? You almost drowned! " 

"Exactly, _almost_. It's not a big deal. " 

Acxa opened her mouth as if about to say something. But then he looked at Allura, “What did I tell you? He has a problem! " 

"You should be the last person to lecture me! You almost killed him once!"

“I didn't know who he was! I regret it now! "

“Hey, I'm still here. Could you not talk about me as if I weren't there? " Lance screamed, making them stop arguing with each other. Ah, finally. The paladin continued, “I'm fine. Keith saved me. Can we do our job before the aliens either declare us divinity or try to sacrifice us to some evil entity? " 

"Lance, it happened once..." 

"The Universe is big and strange, Hunk. " 

Acxa frowned, "I feel like I'm missing something here." 

"Welcome to the club," was Pidge's comment. 

Keith rubbed his eyes, “Could you stop messing around? Let's stick to the plan. Lance ... " 

"Don't you dare make me stay here!"

"I can't make you change your mind, can I?"

"No." 

"Ok. Come on then. But at the first sign of danger ... " 

“I'll have your back - Lance continued - Because I'm your right arm, and you can count on me. Are we done with the useless chatter now? " 

Krolia looking at them, had a strange sense of deja-vu, remembering a happier period of his life, with a man he had loved but who sometimes had wanted to strangle with his hands. It seemed the same was happening to Keith.

"Mhm ... it looks like we have t same taste in men."

It wasn't a good thing when Lady Haggar summoned someone.

  
General Oak knew this, but he had years of experience and service from his, and he knew how to behave.

  
So he calmly entered the room and bowed respectfully to the witch.

  
Haggar watched him for a moment. Then he said, "General Oak, do you know why I had you summoned?"

  
The man remained impassive, "No, your Highness."

  
"I have heard that someone entered my laboratory without permission and created three skòtadis."

  
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'll take steps to increase security and find the person responsible."  
  
"There won't be any need."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Haggar narrowed his eyes, "I've already proceeded to make access to the lab safer. Plus, I already know who did it."   
  
Now the general looked nervous, "Oh?"   
  
She leaned forward slightly, "My druids investigated. And they found an energy signature that looked respectfully similar to yours, general."  
  
"Your Highness..."   
  
Haggar cut him off with a peremptory wave of his hand, "Don't try to lie to me. I know it was you, and that you used the skotádis to eliminate competition. That's why the men under your command attacked the paladins, isn't it? To have the opportunity to infiltrate the assassins aboard the Castle of the Lions. "   
  
"I didn't..."  
  
The general paused, a blade resting at his throat and druids behind him.  
  
Haggar began to speak again, "The Emperor does not like me acting behind his back. Sendak's example was not enough. But don't worry, after you have spent some time in the care of my druids, you will no longer want to act. without our knowledge. "  
  
"Your Highness, no..."  
  
"Will you beg me? You should have thought about it before you attempted to kill Zarkon's rightful heir."  
  
"Lotor is not his heir! He is not even a pureblood Galra and ..."  
  
He was interrupted by excruciating pain in his side where a Druid had stabbed him.  
  
"Moderate your tone - Haggar said coldly - You're talking about the Emperor's son. Maybe we can teach you some respect. Take him away."  
  
The druids obeyed and dragged him away while the general screamed and threatened in vain.   
  
Haggar didn't flinch.  
  
She had plans for him: the Arena needed a new Champion, after all.   
  
"My lady," a girl said, her face covered by the hood.  
  
Haggar said to her, "Alix, did you find out anything?"  
  
"Paladins have been spotted on Akhet."  
  
"Mhm ..."  
  
It took time to reach that planet, and he didn't trust any Galra for what he wanted to do. Thankfully, wherever in the universe you were, money was an incentive for the right people.  
  
"Go to the treasure room and get something for me. I need to contact Kaldrum."  
  
If you couldn't do one thing alone, get help from the best slave trader in the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Next story: Pa' Demi

**Author's Note:**

> English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry for any errors.


End file.
